Prologue:
It was a truth universally acknowledged that a single man in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a wife. Not a husband. Not the single lifestyle. No ifs, ands, or buts, because in the minds of the Shurley family the only thing a rich man wanted was a wife.
"Charles!" Rebecca Shurley swung open the door to her husband's study. There was a bang as the door hit the wall. It had been almost twenty years and the woman's constant barging in still made Charles Shurley jump out of his skin.
It took a second for the Charles to catch his breath and slow down his heartbeat. He glanced up to his wife with a sour expression pasted on his face. The woman was not shaken or really in the least bit affected by the man's glare.
"Rebecca, would it kill you to knock for once?" Charles asked annoyance clear in voice as he closed the book he'd been reading. His wife who had been standing in the doorway only ignored him and walked closer.
"Save your unimportant matters for later for I have such wonderful news, darling," Becky cooed happily before smoothing out her dress and sitting down in an arm chair. When there was no response, the woman huffed and spoke again.
"Neitherfield has finally been sold." There was still no reply. Charles only looked at his wife with an uninterested expression.
"Don't you want to hear who it was who bought it?"
The brunette haired man sighed before taking off his reading glasses in defeat. He placed them on the wood desk and tried to seem at least a little interested in the matter.
"You want to tell me and I have no objections to hear," Charles replied. The blonde sitting opposite him smiled as she clapped her hands together.
"His name is Michael Novak and he is rich, handsome, and most importantly, single!" Rebecca explained with a squeal. This got a cringe out of her husband.
"I'm not sure why I see why this is such a big deal, explain?" Charles asked. Becky gave another huff before standing up and crossing her arms.
"Charles, you are impossible! A rich man is always in want of a wife and Anna is young, single, and very pretty. You must go meet once he is moved in. Oh just think of the grandchildren they will have," she sighed before twirling around to leave.